A Flawed Call to Action

A year after the Arab Spring, we think of Tahrir Square as ground zero of the impact of “liberation technology.” Now, will the “Kony 2012” video do to war criminals what Facebook and Twitter did to Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisa and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt? Will the sensation that this video has become translate into deeper interest? And if so, how will that interest serve the goal of apprehending Joseph Kony? There are no clear answers yet. Sadly, what is clear is that this “call to action” is deeply flawed. Criticizing the video is almost too easy.

Those who see 'Kony 2012' as shallow should improve the campaign, not just online but also through actions.

“Kony 2012” leaves a false impression that there is a war going on in Northern Uganda. There is none. Besides getting the geography wrong, the video takes away attention from existing problems where the conflict festered for 22 years. They include disease and unemployment — just as effective as the Lord's Resistance Army in ending the lives of young people and destroying dreams. It also emotionalizes and dignifies the “white man’s burden” in its simplistic construction — angering Ugandans and Africans in general.

But perhaps, at 30 minutes long, it should not be expected to address the complex mosaic of conflict and weak government in Central Africa. It caught our attention. “Kony 2012” clearly punches above its weight, and it delivers an emotional blow. If this campaign fails because of disillusionment with the video, it would be a double tragedy. As a social media experiment, its future now lies in a responsible reaction. Those concerned with its shallowness must provide the campaign with a new face, not just online but also through actions. A good start would be requiring the government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to treat its civilians like citizens. Kinshasa can avoid committing the mistake that Uganda did: allowing a brutal movement to sap the lifeblood out of helpless civilians for years without a response from well-meaning government. So if you must, occupy Joseph Kabila.